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Why is CBC News doing opinion?

Opinion isn't new to the CBC - we've offered it in different forms on radio and television for decades. Already, many of our regional websites run opinion pieces written by members of our audience. This new section is intended to bring those voices together in one place, and to help develop and showcase a wide-range of commentary from across the country in one place. Our goal is to give the audience access to competing ideas which will complement our news coverage and provide additional insight.

What is the difference between analysis and opinion?

Good journalism does more than report facts; it also provides context. Our journalists will continue to bring their own experiences, knowledge and insight to bear on analysis pieces. Opinion pieces, though, go further; there is more latitude for the writer to be definitive about which side of a particular argument deserves support. But engaging this way should not spark questions about the independence and impartiality of CBC News journalism. So you can be assured that every opinion column will be clearly labelled to prevent confusion; and that anyone who writes opinion for CBC News will no longer be involved in our traditional journalism. You can read more about this in an editor's blog post on the topic.

Who can send in a submission?

If you're interested in writing a column for CBC, you can send a pitch to opinion@cbc.ca for one of our editors to review. We prefer that columns be topical, not written in first person and between 500-750 words. We'll contact you if we want to pursue your pitch. We also encourage writers to participate in our comment section, because we'll be pulling the best content from the forums in an upcoming feature.

How do you disclose conflicts of interest?

Anyone writing opinion for CBC News is asked to disclose any potential conflicts of interest. To help them along, they are sent a series of questions. Editors will then determine which conflicts need to be brought to a reader's attention in the author's bio field.